Alan Hale built himself a Met-Kit home, but it didn't start out that way. Originally, he bought a transportable home from another supplier, who went bankrupt, leaving him with nothing but the foundations.
His mates rallied around and erected the frame of Alan and Pauline's new Met-Kit home at Goughs Bay in Victoria's North East in less than a day.
The five builder friends worked for free, helping out a mate who had suffered misfortune. The close-knit community also gave their support, raising $1000 and lending a hand in other ways.
Written up in the local newspaper the Mansfield Courier, the story of Alan and Pauline's early bad luck and remarkable change of fortune made heart-warming reading.
Now the couple are finishing off their Met-Kit home, completing a project that survived the collapse of their original dream.
"We knew about Met-Kit because we had retired from Melbourne, where we lived near the showroom of Met-Kit's sales agent Paal Kit Homes on Canterbury Road," Alan said.
The Hales purchased the four-bedroom Mitchell design to lock-up stage, changing the standard plan to eliminate one bedroom and enlarge the living and dining area.
On the big day when his mates lent a hand, the floor was already laid and Alan had prepared the roof trusses ready for raising.
The team had the frame and roof trusses up by 3.30 pm, surprising Alan and Pauline with the speed of assembly.
The builders had never erected a steel-framed home before. "They were very impressed and couldn't speak highly enough of it."
As soon as Alan completes the roof and exterior cladding, he and Pauline will move in and fit the interior at a more leisurely pace.
"We're very pleased. A few months ago, we had nothing. Now we have a home," he said.
Photo courtesy of the Mansfield Courier.
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